Many modern television receivers have picture-in-picture ("PIP", or "PIX-IN-PIX") capability, that is, the capability of combining video signals from two different sources to produce a signal which when displayed includes a first program in a main viewing area, and a second program in a secondary (inset) viewing area of the same display screen.
It is known in the art to produce a multi-picture ("multipix") display by generating a 3.times.3 or 3.times.4 matrix of small still (i.e., freeze-frame) pictures. These small still pictures are produced by storing a series of "snap-shot-like" still images to form a display of pictures having a fixed time interval between frames.
It is also known to use the multipix technique to implement a "channel guide" or "channel sampling" feature which displays an array of still inset images representative of the programs on each of the channels included in a scan list of preselected channels (i.e., a "scan" list) stored in memory. These displays are produced by initiating the tuning of a channel, waiting a predetermined time while the tuner performs the the tuning operation, storing a frame of video from that channel, tuning the next channel from the scan list, and so on. A 3.times.4 matrix of images of this type, captured from 12 television channels, is illustrated in prior art FIG. 3. In addition to the images corresponding to the television programs, the respective channel numbers are also displayed. Such a system is known from the RCA VPT-695 videocassette recorder, sold by Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind.